New infections have led to increasing numbers of people aged 50 and over living with HIV.

However, this has not been recognised.

Neither the 2001 Declaration of Commitment, signed ten years ago at the groundbreaking UN General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS), nor the UN's 2006 Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS makes any reference to older people living with HIV.

In adopting the 2001 Declaration, member states committed that every two years they would report their progress in responding to the epidemic to the UN General Assembly, against 25 core indicators.

But none of these indicators explicitly includes people aged 50 and over, or requests HIV statistics to be broken down by age.

Three indicators - on access to testing, higher risk sex and condom use - are specifically restricted to people aged 15-49.

Requests for prevalence data are also limited to the 15-49 year age group.

Some countries provided HIV statistics

An analysis of the 119 reports submitted in English shows that some countries are submitting HIV statistics on people aged 50 and over, even though they are not required to do so.

The figures are startling - showing just how at risk older people are of infection. You can read some of the statistics at the bottom of this post.

Because there is no official requirement on how to present HIV statistics on older people, there is no consistency in the way countries do this.

But in total 57 of the 119 reports present HIV statistics on older people (or state that statistics are available) or make other references to older people - reflecting a growing understanding at national level that this age group needs to be given attention.

Despite this, UNAIDS' 2010 Global Report on the AIDS epidemic, which is based on the reports submitted by country governments, does not include any HIV statistics on people aged 50 and over, or make any other reference to older people, either as carers or as people living with HIV.

Why should older people be included in HIV statistics?

The fact is older people are hugely affected by HIV - as carers of family members with HIV and orphaned children, and as people at risk of infection themselves.

Millions of older men and women care for sons and daughters who are living with HIV or for orphaned grandchildren.

In Cambodia, 80% of adult children (who subsequently died of AIDS) were cared for by an older parent.[i]

In east and southern Africa, 40-60% of children orphaned as a result of AIDS are cared for by their grandparents, usually their grandmothers.[ii]

If older people are ignored in the response, how can the children in their care be properly fed, clothed and educated? How can they advise young people about safer sex or protect themselves? How can they receive the treatment, care and support they need?

The absence of older people in HIV statistics at global level implies there is no data at all and no recognition by governments of older people's issues.

It means no attention is paid to older people in the response to HIV, meaning many are unable to access services and support.

There is a clear mismatch between what is reported nationally and what is presented at global level.

It is crucial, therefore, that older people are recognised at this week's UN high-level meeting, and that they are included in any subsequent outcome document and any new commitments and targets, so that every single country has to include older people in its HIV statistics collection and programmes.

Your comments

NIYIRINDA EMMANUEL

15:47, 20 Jul 2011

Thank you for your initiative to provide us with this information. May you keep up with the spirit.It is very important to us.

Lungi Mbodlo

17:36, 20 Oct 2011

Hi am working at wits reproductive health and hiv research institute fof University of Witswatersrand of South Africa.
Am working as a Data quality improvement mentor focusing on HAST(HIV/Aids and sexually transmitted infection and TB collaboration , PMTCT ,HCT MCWH etc.
Therefore am interested to work and explore in your department. I will be delighted if ou can allowme to send you my CV in this regard thank you in advane

Sarah

17:47, 20 Oct 2011

Hi Lungi, thanks for your comment.
All the jobs we have available are on the website.
In South Africa we work through our partner MUSA, their email is msfta@saol.com, maybe you could contact them.
Sarah (from HelpAge)

tatekia

14:24, 04 Jan 2012

thank you

aaima navid

11:02, 23 Jan 2012

thank you so much for your information. I too agree that the adult population for HIV should also be recognized.

musa abdullah bala

16:46, 10 Apr 2012

my name is musa abdullah bala from nigeria.I really admire your effort and courage in proving information like this, actually am writing my final year project on hiv/aids with a major in statistics.It is not easy to do what you're doing it takes a lot of time, patient and most importantly sacrifice to provide a large amount of information thank you very much and keep up the work.

Rachel Albone

10:53, 21 May 2012

Thanks for your comments and support Musa. Good luck with your studies. Hopefully you will be able to include older people in your data and analysis!

NAKANWAGI CHRISTINE MATOVU

11:17, 11 Sep 2012

I AM GLAD THAT YOU TAKE RESPONSIBILITY TO UPDATE US ON THE PREVALENCE OF HIV/AIDS IN THE WORLD. GOOD.

Katemba Edison Kakitahi

17:46, 29 Nov 2012

The general population still thinks HIV is something that came in the 80s in form witchcraft and so it can be played a round spiritually, that is according to African Traditional Society set up.
From
Kampala Uganda

Enock Kaye

10:51, 07 Mar 2013

Thank you.I hope it will assist me in the research i am going to conduct

mariam abdi mapembe

10:51, 07 Mar 2013

thank you for your advices and for this website that helps us to prevent our societies from hiv/aids. from st.jude school tanzania that it helped me write ma ICT project on HIV/AIDS statistics of different countries. Thanx a lot.

Harriet Kamashanyu

11:47, 02 Aug 2013

This is so inspiring...
Am also part of the HIV fight amongst sex workers....
And i still admit stigmatization and discrimination from the social services is still paramount..
Bravo.
How can be part of your stuggle..
Harriet

Arulrlaj Louis

10:00, 15 Sep 2015

While we were thinking that only people in the age group of 15-49 are at risk, your article throws light about the older people. I do hope that powers that be will look into this and do the needful.

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